Typewriting machine



Dec. 25, 1923, 1,478,698

G w. CAMPBELL 'TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1922 mvenfa/i' Patented Dec. 25, 11

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GEORGE W. CAMPBELL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB, '1'0 UNDERWOOD TYPEWBITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

1 Application filed January 27, 1922. Serial No. 532,089.

new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The. present invention relates to a card or label holding attachment for typewriting machines, and more particularly to that class of holder which is of resilient sheetmaterial, conforming, when distended, to the curvature of the platen, but which, by reason of its resiliency, firmly clasps the platen when positioned thereon. In such devices, the holder may be of variable Width, but, for firm attachment to the platen, is referably of such width as to embraces 'ghtly more than half the circumference of the latter, so as securely to grip the same. In operation, the edge of the card, usually the upper edge, is inserted under the edge of the holder, and is so held to the platen by the spring pressure of the holder thereon that the card or label will move with the platen as the latter is rotated and has its line-feed movements. Holders of this character ordinarily permit of complete rotation of the platen, so that the card or label may be inserted, upper edge foremost, under the forward edge of the holder, and the card carried rearward around the platen and up under the usual pressure-rolls to the printing position; the pressure-rolls assisting in holding the card or label during the printing operation.

The object of the present invention is the provision of means, preferably near the forward edgeof the holder, whereby the edge of the card or label, inserted thereunder, may be accurately and easily, and, in effect, automatically, aligned as the card is thrust into position.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, hereinafter set forth, the holder is shaped to provide two spaced fingers, the forward edges of which fingers are offset or undercut to receive the edge of the card, and to provide aligned shoulders against which the edge of the card abuts when the card is in position.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is .a perspective view, showing a card held to the laten by the holder and front pressure-r0 one of the types bein shown in printing position against the ca Fi ure 2 is a view in side elevation, showmg t e position to which the platen is preferably turned with the holder for insertion of a card; the forward edge of the card being against the aligning ledges of the holder.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the parts in the Figure 1, printing, position.

Figure 4 shows, in full lines, the holder in side elevation; and, in dotted lines, the manner in which it is distended to be placed upon and held by the platen.

Referring to the drawings, the holder is shown as a piece of resilient sheet-metal, which, in its distended dotted line, Figure 4, setting, is of substantially the curvature of the platen 9, so as snugly to embrace the latter, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Its tendency to contract to its full line, Figure 4, setting causes it to grip the platen in such manner as to be held thereto without slipping; and so that, without any extraneous holding means, it will stay wherever placed upon the platen and will rotate as a unit therewith. Preferably, the holder is of slightly more than half the circumference of the platen; and, in such case, requires a slightly greater distension in the operations of placing and removing the same than is required to hold it after its front and rear edges have crossed a diametrical line of the aten.

Added flexibility to permit the holder to be easily placed and removed is obtained by cutting out the forward portion thereof at 11, thus forming two gripping fingers 12 and 13 at the front. The rear edge of the holder is preferably concave as shown at 14 in Figure l, so that the grip of the holder on the platen at the rear is chiefly maintained by the rear corners 15 and 16 of the holder.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the fingers 12 and 13 are undercut or slightly offset at 17 to permit the upper edge of the card to he slipped thereunder and aligned by means of the shoulders or ledges 18 formed by such undercutting or offsetting. The underout or offset 17 is not enough, however, to

allow looseness of the, card thereunder. The edge of the card is held down so firmly against the platen that it will be carried around by the latter when the platen is r0- tated. It will be seen, however, that it is desirable to have the fingers 12 and 13 set snugly on the platen; and this is assured by the cuts at 11 and 14 in the holder, there being no metal intermediate the ends of the holder which, if slightly misshapen, could hold one or the other of the fingers 12 and 13 away from the platen and so allow the card to pass beyond the aligning shoulder 18. Furthermore, by reason of the cut 11, the card-aligning surfaces of the holders are localized at two places, spaced considerably apart on the edge of the card, with nothing between to disturb the setting of the card.

To insert the card, the platen is preferably turned to bring the holder to Figure 2 position with the card-aligning shoulders 18 in the line of the operators vision. The upper edge of the card is then thrust under the offsets 17 and against the shoulders 18 of each of the fingers 12 and 18 to assume the position indicated at 19 in Figure 2. The platen is then rotated in letter-feed direction to Fi ure 3 position; during which operation, first the holder, and then the card, pass between the front pressure-roll 20 and the platen; the card being wrapped around the platen and held thereto below the printing line by the pressure-roll. When brought to the printing position, indicated by the type 21, printing and line-feed of the card may be effected in the usual manner. Further movement of the platen in line-feed direc tion causes the card to clear the pressureroll, whereupon the card may be drawn forward out of the holder. The card may,

' however, be brought to printing position and held otherwise than by line-feed movement.

of the platen and use of the pressure-roll. The outer ends of the offsets 17 -may be turned or curved slightly outward from the platen more readily to permit the card to be guided under the same to the aligning shoulders. Such curving of the ends of the offsets 17 and similar curving of the ends of the gripping portions 15 and 16 at the rear will permit the holder to be pressed upon and snapped over the platen without risk of abrasion of the latter. In removing the holder, it is merely necessary to grasp the same on opposite sides thereof, at any convenient points, and draw the same away from the platen.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a typewriting machine, the combination with a rotary platen, of a card or label holding device of resilient sheet-material curved to conform to the curvature of the platen when the holder is distended, and of such width as to securely clasp the platen by reason of said resiliency; the forward portion of the holder being shaped to provide two spaced fingers, the forward edges of which fingers are offset or undercut, to permit the card or label to be inserted between the same and the platen so as to be held to the platen by the spring action of the holder, and which offsets serve as means for aligning the card or label when the edge thereof is inserted under the same.'

- GEORGE W. CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

F. W. DoBsoN, A. M. SULLIVAN. 

